So long, Beckham. You won't be missed.

Why soccer in America will survive a failed experiment.

Mark StarrAugust 13, 2009 15:09Updated May 30, 2010 12:05

Los Angeles Galaxy's David Beckham of England acknowledges fans after Galaxy defeated New York Red Bulls 3-1 in their Major League Soccer game in East Rutherford, New Jersey, July 16, 2009. (Mike Segar/Reuters)

It would be hard to complain about the serviceable 87 minutes played by David Beckham in last weekend’s L.A.-New England Major League Soccer contest, though he was pretty much a non-factor in the Galaxy’s 2-1 victory.

Still, it appeared that he breathed a little more fire in a rare start for England during Wednesday’s “friendly” against Holland. Beckham got excellent reviews for his half of play, as the two European powerhouses battled to a 2-2 tie.

Two years ago, when Beckham arrived on American shores, at age 32, to play out his senior years in the MLS, it seemed that he was finished — not of his own volition — with international competition. After England sputtered out of the 2006 World Cup after a lackluster performance, the new coach dumped Beckham as captain and left off the team as it pursued the European championship. So Beckham figured why not score a big contract in the star-starved MLS, spread his vast international brand to a huge, new market and enjoy the Hollywood lifestyle, which just might reinvigorate the career of his former Spice Girl wife, Victoria. (The latter may actually have worked out well; there was a Spice Girls reunion tour and now Mrs. Beckham (a.k.a. "Posh Spice") is a candidate to replace Paula Abdul on American Idol.)

Upon arrival, Beckham’s salary of $6.5 million a year was more than seven times what the Galaxy’s biggest star, Landon Donovan, was being paid and more than twice the payroll for the entire squad. But this deal wasn’t all about money, Beckham insisted. He had set his sights, or so he claimed, on making his mark in the MLS and, by doing so, help to grow the future of soccer in the United States.

But after another English flop at Euro 2008 and another coaching change for the mother country, Beckham found himself back in play internationally, if only as a candidate for a bench spot where he might serve as a late-game offensive catalyst. Even with his diminished skills — he was increasingly a liability defensively, all too likely to draw a critical red or yellow card — Beckham could still change a game with a brilliant free kick or perfectly placed crossing pass.

And just as quickly as Beckham’s American yearning had descended upon him, it began to slip away.